From the U.S. Ski Team:

One of the longest standing teams in the Paralympics is changing its name to better reflect the high level of athleticism of its members to become the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team. Formerly known as the disabled team, the new Adaptive Team includes both alpine and cross country skiing in a program managed under the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the parent organization of the U.S. Ski Team.

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2010 Olympic organizers announced the route for the torch relay today. The route covers 35,000 kilometers.

Click here to check out an interactive map of the route.

From the U.S. Ski Team:

World Cup overall and downhill champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) fell during a routine training session for super G Wednesday at Copper Mountain in Colorado. She was seen at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic at the Vail Valley Medical Center and released Wednesday afternoon pending further observation by doctors.

According to U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Richard Quincy, she was seen by the U.S. Women's Alpine Ski Team's Dr. William Sterett who indicated that she suffered a bruised left knee; there was no ligament or cartilage damage. A decision on her return is pending further evaluation.

Chris Pleasants, Zach Radmer, Bret Nordlund, and Jon Chartrand from Seattle's Granite Curling Club (www.curlingseattle.org) defeated Brian Caldwell's Minnesota team 9-4 in a tiebreaker on Sunday afternoon to win the World University Games U.S. Team Trials in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. With the victory, the foursome earned the right to become Team USA, and will represent the United States in curling at the 2009 Winter World University Games in Harbin, China, February 20th- 27th, 2009.

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From VANOC:

After weeks of deliberations at kitchen tables across Canada, Olympic enthusiasts submitted more than $345 million in requests for tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. As of this past Friday, November 7, the final day of the Request Period of Phase 1, an estimated 120 of 170 ticketed sessions were oversubscribed due to demand exceeding the available tickets. In terms of dollars, Canadians have already requested approximately four and a half times the value of tickets in Phase 1 for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games ($345 million over five weeks), compared to the first phase of ticketing ($75 million over nine weeks) for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the most recent Olympic Games held in North America.

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From the U.S. Ski Team:

One World Cup into the season and it's fairly obvious that reigning Audi FIS World Cup giant slalom champion Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) has been a busy man. With some new additions to his arsenal of Shred fashions, tentative plans for a new hairdo and a new World Cup podium finish on his resume, it's a wonder he has time for much else - but he does. To find out what else Ligety has been up to, read on:

You really know how to start the World Cup season off, don't you?
It's sweet starting the year off on the podium. It's a big pressure reliever because you're never really sure how fast you're going until the first race. It gives you that little extra piece of confidence, which makes skiing easier to do.

We couldn't help but notice that, along with Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), fashion plays a role in your race days. Each race, Lindsey will wear a new uniquely designed speed suit by Spyder. You don your Shred gear. Is fashion an important part of race day?
I wouldn't say it affects my race day, but I like to have fun with it. Part of Shred [Ligety's optic, clothing and soon-to-be helmet company] is the sense of humor behind it. It's something I have fun with. The difference with me and Lindsey is I'm trying to get everyone to wear the same thing as me.

And are people wearing the same things as you?
Slowly, I see more and more people wearing Shreds around and it's pretty cool. It's cool to see people wearing a product you've worked hard to cultivate and develop. I see people wearing it and enjoying it and knowing that you have ownership in it is a cool feeling.

So what's the deal with the Shred helmets?
We're developing helmets - they aren't on the market yet - and sunglasses will be on the market this year as well. We're slowly building up the line. It's not super easy being a small company, but it's fun learning the ins and outs of it.

Aside from being a skier and a business man, what else is new in your life?
When I was home I did the Audi Driving Experience with Marco [Sullivan] and Mac [Scott Macartney] driving the R8 around the track. It was definitely the highlight of the month so far. Otherwise, not a whole lot is going on other than Thanksgiving.

Which is scarier, the speed on the hill or on the track?
The two are different. I'm obviously really comfortable skiing fast, but driving fast and pushing my limits is a totally different thrill in itself.

What's going on for Thanksgiving?
We're normally in Colorado for that time and so I think we're going to get together, a bunch of us are going to cook turkey, and it will be the Ski Team family Thanksgiving dinner.

Last year after you won the World Cup GS globe, you shaved your hair into a celebratory mullet. Will there be a mullet return this year?
No, no mullet this year. We're trying to convince Josh Applegate [World Cup tech assistant coach] to do an old Will Smith flat top. He's growing out his hair for that, but for him to do it, Peter Korfiatis [World Cup tech assistant coach] and I have to get a perm at some point.

You're getting a perm?
Yes. (laughs) So I may at some point be rocking a perm, but that's only if Josh grows his hair long enough to do the flat top.

Will you rock the wet perm look, or will you fro it out?
I'll totally fro it out, but it's still in the early stages. This won't happen till early January if it does.

A statement released today from the U.S. Ski Team

One of the founding pioneers of the modern day U.S. Ski Team, William Bradford Briggs, died Nov. 1 at the age of 87 at his home in Vero Beach, FL. Briggs, was a driving force in the formation of the Team's fundraising arm, the U.S. Ski Team Educational Foundation, in the '70s and one of its staunchest supporters in the Team's heyday of the late '70s and early '80s.

"Much of the success our athletes have earned today can be attributed to the vision of early supporters like Brad Briggs," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt. "When Brad and others started our Foundation, they had no roadmap - they paved the way with their enthusiasm in mobilizing American skiers coast-to-coast to support their best athletes. It's a model that continues to serve us today, over three decades later."

Briggs made his mark in business teaming with Bill Ziff to build Ziff-Davis into one of the world's great publishing empires. Among its popular titles was Skiing Magazine. He parlayed his business savvy and contacts to help form a funding arm for the Team in the '70s. Until that time, the Team had been loosely organized. But the Foundation's funding and leadership helped to modernize the Team and establish a full time training center and office in Park City, Utah.

Through the '70s the Team developed as an international powerhouse led by Olympic and World Champions like Cindy Nelson, Barbara and Marilyn Cochran and Phil and Steve Mahre.

Briggs remained an honorary trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation at the time of his death. He is survived by three sons, Scott, Peter and Barry, along with 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His wife "Buffy" died two days earlier. A service for the two was held Nov. 3.

Friday is the last day to request tickets for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.

Ticket requests can be submitted at cosport.com or 877-457-4647. A credit card with an expiration date of February 2009 or later is required to request tickets, but no payments will be collected during this time according to the cosport.com website.

Tickets range in price from $25 to watch cross-country skiing to $1,118 for the opening ceremonies.

The ticket request period started Oct. 3, but regardless of when requests are submitted they will be considered equally when ticket sales are confirmed in December. Those who win the right to buy tickets will have their credit cards billed at that time. Tickets will not be shipped until January 2010.

If any tickets remain after requests are submitted they will go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis in February or March according to cosports.com.

From the U.S. Bobsled Federation:

PARK CITY, Utah- Men's four-man bobsled team trials continued today on the 2002 Olympic track in conjunction with the America's Cup competition, where the four U.S. sleds entered into the race claimed the top four results out of 11 international sleds. Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) and Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) were victorious in the four-man and men's skeleton events, respectively, while Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) led the U.S. women's skeleton team with a silver medal performance.

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The U.S. Bobsled Team just announced it's World Cup team. No surprises.

USA I: Pilot Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) and push athletes Steve Mesler (Calgary, Alberta), Justin Olsen (San Antonio, Texas), and Curt Tomasevicz (Shelby, Neb.).

USA II: Pilot Todd Hays (Del Rio, Texas) and push athletes TJ Burns (Blue Bell, Pa.), Bill Schuffenhauer (Ogden, Utah), and Alex Sprague (Indianapolis, Ind.).